....~\=*@@ @@*=\~....
.....~\=*@ @*=\~.....
....~\=*@@ @@*=\~....
...~\=*@@# #@@*=\~...
..~\=*@@## ##@@*=\~..
.~\=*@@### #...««««««««...# ###@@*=\~.
..~\=*@@## ####.«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««.#### ##@@*=\~..
...~\=*@@# #...««««««««...# #@@*=\~...
....~\=*@@ @@*=\~....
.....~\=*@ ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A @*=\~.....
....~\=*@@ LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES @@*=\~....
...~\=*@@# OR BALCONIES, WE HAVE BUILT LARGE #@@*=\~...
..~\=*@@## ANTENNAS FOR LARGER BANDWITH, WE HAVE ##@@*=\~..
.~\=*@@### BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR ###@@*=\~.
..~\=*@@## SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM ##@@*=\~..
...~\=*@@# INTO ORBIT), WE'VE BUILT LARGE AS FUCK #@@*=\~...
....~\=*@@ ANTENNA ARRAYS @@*=\~....
.....~\=*@ WE'VE VIRTUALLY BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A @*=\~.....
....~\=*@@ DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH. @@*=\~....
...~\=*@@# #@@*=\~...
..~\=*@@## WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT OUR POSITION IN THE ##@@*=\~..
.~\=*@@### SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS ###@@*=\~.
..~\=*@@## PLACEMENT IN THE GALAXY, AND OUR ##@@*=\~..
...~\=*@@# GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE LOCAL CLUSTER, #@@*=\~...
....~\=*@@ AND «OUR« LOCAL CLUSTERS PLACE IN THE @@*=\~....
.....~\=*@ GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS @*=\~.....
....~\=*@@ @@*=\~....
...~\=*@@# AND WE'RE MOVING AROUND THE SUN AT #@@*=\~...
..~\=*@@## VELOCITY AND THE SUNS MOVING AROUND THE ##@@*=\~..
.~\=*@@### CENTER OF THE GALAXY AT VELOCITY AND ###@@*=\~.
..~\=*@@## THE GALAXY IS MOVING TOWARD ANDROMEDA ##@@*=\~..
...~\=*@@# AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE #@@*=\~...
....~\=*@@ AROUND THE GALAXY. AND WE AS A SPECIES @@*=\~....
.....~\=*@ HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT @*=\~.....
....~\=*@@ @@*=\~....
...~\=*@@# AND DESPITE ALL THIS, DESPITE ALL OUR #@@*=\~...
..~\=*@@## (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR ##@@*=\~..
.~\=*@@### RADIO PROGRAMMES OUT IN FUCKING SPACE ###@@*=\~.
..~\=*@@## AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT (LIGHT IS OUR ##@@*=\~..
...~\=*@@# MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!), #@@*=\~...
....~\=*@@ DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE @@*=\~....
.....~\=*@ COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS @*=\~.....
....~\=*@@ FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS @@*=\~....
...~\=*@@# BEAMING OF ALL OUR SECRETS IN EVERY #@@*=\~...
..~\=*@@## DIRECTION KNOWN TO US, ##@@*=\~..
.~\=*@@### ###@@*=\~.
..~\=*@@## NO . ONE . HAS . ANSWERED ##@@*=\~..
...~\=*@@# #@@*=\~...
....~\=*@@ #...««««««««...# @@*=\~....
.....~\=*@ ####.«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««.#### @*=\~.....
....~\=*@@ #...««««««««...# @@*=\~....
...~\=*@@# #@@*=\~...
..~\=*@@## SO WHY IS THAT? ##@@*=\~..
.~\=*@@### ###@@*=\~.
..~\=*@@## MOST OPPONENTS TO INTELLIGENT LIFE IN ##@@*=\~..
...~\=*@@# THE UNIVERSE SAY IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED #@@*=\~...
....~\=*@@ A CLASS ONE-OR-THE-OTHER STAR AND THE @@*=\~....
.....~\=*@ PLANET NEEDS TO BE AT A SEE-AND-SO @*=\~.....
....~\=*@@ DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE STAR (LIKE THERE @@*=\~....
...~\=*@@# HAS TO BE A PLANET!) #@@*=\~...
..~\=*@@## ##@@*=\~..
.~\=*@@### BUT REALLY ISN'T THAT KEEPING THE ###@@*=\~.
..~\=*@@## DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX? ##@@*=\~..
...~\=*@@# #@@*=\~...
....~\=*@@ I THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO @@*=\~....
.....~\=*@ IDEA WHAT WE'RE DOING (AND IT PROBABLY @*=\~.....
....~\=*@@ SHOWS) @@*=\~....
...~\=*@@# #@@*=\~...
..~\=*@@## #...««««««««...# ##@@*=\~..
.~\=*@@### ####.«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««.#### ###@@*=\~.
..~\=*@@## #...««««««««...# ##@@*=\~..
...~\=*@@# #@@*=\~...
....~\=*@@ I'M GONNA GO SMOKE MY THIRD CIGARETTE @@*=\~....
.....~\=*@ THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS @*=\~.....
....~\=*@@ FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING @@*=\~....
...~\=*@@# #@@*=\~...
..~\=*@@## ##@@*=\~..
.~\=*@@### ###@@*=\~.
..~\=*@@## ##@@*=\~..
...~\=*@@# #@@*=\~...